2013 Trails Forever Program Accomplishments Announced

Brecksville, Ohio – The National Park Service announces 2013 Trails Forever program accomplishments. The trails you love to hike, bike and horseback ride received much needed repairs and improvements. This past year, park staff completed 244 individual maintenance projects along with the community support of 460 individual volunteers donating 8733 hours. Through the funds generated by the Trails Forever Legacy Fund endowment, the NPS purchased a trailer to haul tools for trail maintenance and hired a trails volunteer coordinator. The Legacy Fund is managed by the friends group Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Conservancy).

"Amazing trail projects were completed despite many financial and natural challenges," said Bill Zimmer, CVNP Trails Manager. "With the support of many volunteers we developed a new native log footbridge on Stanford Trail, an impressive rock staircase on Haskell Run Trail, and over 100 feet of boardwalk installed on Cross Country Trail. We owe much of our success to the hard work and contributions of many volunteers and the Conservancy. Trail volunteers not only report trail problems but come out once a month to fix the trails. The Conservancy helps organize the dedicated trail volunteers and fundraise to support the trail program through the Trails Forever Legacy Fund."

The projects accomplished in 2013 include the following:

- Over 220 downed and hazardous trees removed from trails

- Tread repair and drainage work completed on 1260 ft of trail on multi-use trails

- 21 trail signs replaced or repaired

- 3 trail bridges repaired at the following locations: Towpath Trail south of Jaite Mill, Wetmore Trail, Buckeye Trail and one bridge replaced on Stanford Trail

- 2 new benches installed on the Towpath Trail at Lock 35 (Whiskey Lock) and north of Station Road Bridge Trailhead

- 60 ft of trail fencing replaced on the Towpath Trail at Lock 29 (Peninsula) and Haskell Run trail

Trails Forever is a multifaceted program that builds on existing strengths of Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and our volunteers. Its purpose is to ensure that CVNP has a top-quality trail system, in perpetuity, insulated from fluctuations in federal funding by a strong base of local support. The five tenets of Trails Forever are experiences, volunteerism, planning, trail enhancement, and philanthropy. For more information about the park’s Trails Forever program visit www.nps.gov/cuva/trails-forever.htm.

CVNP encompasses 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Managed by the National Park Service, CVNP combines cultural, historical, recreational, and natural activities in one setting. For more information visit www.nps.gov/cuva or call 330-657-2752.